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Offensive Showdown Goes To Ramapo In Florida, 11-9
Posted: 3/14/2008
Box Score | More Baseball news
Sophomore Jordan Zimmerman pushed three runs across via a double and a triple against Ramapo.

Orlando, FL — The Messiah College baseball team’s spring break trip to the Orlando, Florida area got off to a disappointing start Friday, as the team dropped an 11-9 decision to Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Messiah (4-6) scored first for the first time of the season against the Roadrunners, but could not maintain a lead for long: Ramapo (7-3) matched the Falcons’ two runs in the first and second innings in the bottom half of those stanzas, eventually tacking on four more scores in the fourth inning to claim an 8-4 lead.

The Falcons would play catch-up from that point on, pulling within a run before fizzling in a one-two-three at bat in the top of the ninth inning.

“It was good to get down here safely and be outside in warm weather, but we just couldn’t hold Ramapo down enough to get the win,” said Bryan Engle, Messiah head coach. “They hit the ball very well today, and it was good to finally get our sticks going, but we just couldn’t match their production. The ball really carried today, and you could tell it was going to be a hitter’s game early on.”

Temperatures in the 70’s provided a vastly different backdrop than what Engle’s club has grown accustomed to this season, and the team’s enjoyment of such came through in its offensive performance early. A first-inning triple from sophomore Jordan Zimmerman drove in two runs, while a pair of walks led to two more scores in the second.

Unfortunately, Ramapo produced a triple and a home run in their offensive half of those two innings, eventually leading senior and starting pitcher Jeremy Stoltzfus (0-2) to an early exit: The righthander pitched just a total of three and one-third innings, giving up seven earned runs off of nine hits.

After the teams traded scoreless half-innings in the third, it was the Roadrunners that came up with what would eventually be the game’s turning point, scoring four runs in the fourth to take a commanding lead. Four singles and a triple led to that explosion, as Stoltzfus was pulled in favor of classmate Chandler Sheaffer.

While Sheaffer would provide a solid stretch for Engle’s club on the mound — three runs allowed off of seven hits — Messiah could not generate the big inning it needed in the high-scoring affair. The Falcons tacked on single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, scoring a pair in the eighth as well.

A season-high 14 runners left on base would eventually doom the cause, however, as Ramapo tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning to provide the final score.

“Sheaffer did a great job for us in relief today, as he kept us in the game and gave us an opportunity,” Engle said. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t come up with the big hit when we needed it. When you’re playing catch-up in a game that’s going to be a bit more offense-oriented like today, you have to be a bit more aggressive. You can’t just lay down bunts. You have to let guys hit, steal bases and try to get guys moving because you need the big inning instead of just trying to knock one or two off. That was certainly the case for us today.”

Zimmerman paced the club offensively, going 2-5 with three RBI. He knocked out a triple and a double. Senior Craig Mease also belted a triple, finishing 2-4 with two runs scored. Classmate Ben Snyder finished with an RBI via a double as well, as sophomores Jon-Mike Richards and Adam Ranck each drove in a run, as did senior Ben Jordan and sophomore Sheldon Witmer.

Messiah will turn around and play a double-header against Wheaton College (IL) next, a team that’s undefeated on the season. Senior Dan Kern is projected to get the starting pitching nod in game one, while Witmer will most likely open in game two.

“We’re getting there,” Engle said. “It is good to be down here, and the guys have a chance to enjoy themselves and not have to focus on academics for a week. We’ve also got great support, as about 15 families made the trip with us. We’ll continue to work at it, but this is a good situation for all of us. We’re playing really good competition, so we understand what’s required to get wins down here.”

Messiah will face Wheaton in a double-header beginning early Saturday afternoon. Game time for the first of two is set for 1 p.m.